2019 Giant road bikes - explore the complete range with our guide

Updated June 17, 2019

Giant has a huge lineup of bikes and components covering all areas of cycling. Giant road bikes range from £579 to £8,999 so there's something for pretty much every budget.

The vast number of Giant road bike models might seem daunting at first but the range is structured logically so it’s easy to work out the best choice for you.

One quick tip before we start is that the word 'Advanced' in a model name means that the frame is carbon-fibre.

All of Giant's road bikes feature groupsets from Shimano. The lower the number included in a bike name the higher the quality of the components. The TCR Advanced Pro 1 has a higher spec than the TCR Advanced Pro 2, for example, and the TCR Advanced Pro 0 has a higher level again.

Giant also has a women’s specific brand called Liv that offers an impressively large range.

TCR Advanced range

The TCR Advanced models are performance road bikes that are designed to be lightweight, stiff and agile, roughly the equivalent of a Trek Emonda or Specialized Tarmac.

All the TCR models are made from carbon-fibre of various grades, and they come in race geometries: low and stretched.

Giant updated the frames of all of the TCR models for the 2016 model year, the idea being to offer the best stiffness-to-weight possible, and added disc-braked models to the range. We wouldn't be surprised to see Giant reveal a revamped TCR some time in 2019.

TCR Advanced SL

Whereas brands like Trek, Merida and Bianchi have all introduced superlight race bikes to the market recently and other brands have concentrated on improving aerodynamic efficiency, Giant has looked at stiffness-to-weight as a means of offering efficiency.

The TCR Advanced SL is the flagship frameset in the Giant road bikes range with a claimed frame weight of 856g and a claimed fork weight of 302g. It’s the brand’s lightest road frameset ever.

Giant says that the TCR Advanced SL comes out higher than any of its competitors in both a frameset pedalling stiffness-to-weight test and a frameset and wheelset pedalling stiffness-to-weight test, although other brands would doubtless dispute this.

When we got the chance to ride the TCR Advanced SL we described it as “an amazingly stiff race bike that’ll suit aggressive riders who prioritise all-out efficiency and super-sharp cornering in their efforts to get to the finish line first”.

Mixing seated riding with out of the saddle stuff for the steeper bits of our test rides, the bottom bracket was locked in place. It was the same deal in sprints: solid. If you’re a powerful rider who finds some bikes just a bit flexy when you get serious, give the TCR Advanced SL a go.

It’s available as a rim brake frameset (£1,999), or in four complete bike builds: two with rim brakes and two with disc brakes. The disc brake frames use 12mm thru-axles front and rear.

The Giant TCR Advanced SL 2 (above, £3,499) is built up with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and Giant’s own SLR 1 wheels, while the Advanced SL 1 (£4,999) has the Di2 (electronic) version of Ultegra and SLR 1 wheels.

The Advanced SL1 Disc (£5,499) is the same but with the addition of Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes while the TCR Advanced SL 0 Dura-Ace (above, £7,999) comes with the Di2 (electronic) version of Shimano's top-level road groupset.

Buy if: You’re after a lightweight and stiff race bike and you’re willing to pay a significant amount of money.

TCR Advanced Pro

Although it’s made from a different grade of composite, many of the TCR Advanced SL’s features are carried over to the TCR Advanced Pro. Giant says that it trimmed weight from this bike in 2016 without sacrificing stiffness.

A wholesale slimming down took place. Giant reduced the profile size of the top tube, seatstays, chainstays, seatpost and fork legs, and made the walls a more consistent thickness than before to minimise excess weight. The lower headset bearing was shifted up slightly so that it’s more in line with the down tube.

The TCR Advanced Pro is available as a frameset (both rim brake and disc brake versions) and in seven different builds. The most accessible of these is the TCR Advanced Pro 2 (£2,399) that’s built up with a mid-level Shimano 105 groupset and Giant’s SLR 1 wheels. The TCR Advanced Pro 2 is available with disc brakes for £200 extra.

The TCR Advanced Pro 1 (above, £2,799) is next up with a Shimano Ultegra group and SLR 1 wheels. This is available in a Team Sunweb finish as well as a standard paintjob, and with disc brakes — again for an additional £200.

At the top of the range you'll find the TCR Advanced Pro 0 with Shimano Ultegra Di2 components and SLR 1 wheels. The rim brake model is £4,299 while the disc brake version is £4,499.

TCR Advanced

The TCR Advanced (without an SL or Pro suffix) also got a lightened frameset for 2016 as well as a new Variant seatpost that’s designed to improve the ride quality and keep you feeling comfortable.

Like the other TCRs, the Advanced is built to Giant’s Compact Road Design. Essentially, this means that the top tube slopes downwards along its length and the frame triangles are smaller than usual. Giant says that this makes for a lighter, stiffer and smoother ride.

We wouldn’t say the Compact Road Design is inherently better than a traditional configuration, but some people do prefer it, especially because it gives you a lower standover height and a lot of exposed seatpost to soak up vibrations from the road.

The cheapest TCR Advanced is the Shimano Tiagra-equipped TCR Advanced 3 (above) which is available only with rim brakes (£1,299). The TCR Advanced 2, with Shimano 105 components, comes in rim brake (£1,499) and disc brake (£1,749) options, as does the TCR Advanced 1 (below, £1,799 and £1,999), with parts from Shimano's Ultegra range.

Buy if: You’re looking for a high performance bike with reasonably accessible pricing.

Propel range

Whereas the TCR bikes are designed for stiffness-to-weight, the Propels are all about aerodynamics. In that sense, they’re competitors to the Trek Madone, for instance, the Merida Reacto and the Canyon Aeroad.

All Propels are built around carbon-fibre frames, although the grade of carbon varies across the range.

You'll notice that there's a large difference in price between a Propel with rim brakes and one with disc brakes and an otherwise similar spec. This is because Giant introduced a brand new disc brake Propel for model year 2018 whereas the rim brake Propels are built to an older design. It's not just the brakes that are different, it's the frameset technology. For that reason we'll divide them up here into rim brake and disc brake models.

Propel Advanced Pro

The Propel Advanced Pro's frame tubes have been designed with aerodynamics in mind, so you get a very deep down tube and a seat tube that’s cut away around the leading edge of the rear wheel – both features common to many other aero road bikes.

The Propel Advanced Pro is available in three different builds, The Shimano Ultegra Di2-equipped Propel Advanced Pro 0 (£4,499) is the top of the line, but the Propel Advanced Pro 1 (above, £2,999) looks the pick of the bunch in terms of value. It comes with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Giant’s own 55mm deep SLR 1 Aero wheels. The range is completed by the Propel Advanced Pro 2 (£2,799) with Shimano 105 components.

Buy if: You're looking for an aero road bike with a proven frame and rim brakes.

Propel Advanced

The Propel Advanced is made from same grade of carbon-fibre as the Propel Advanced Pro but the fork comes with an alloy steerer rather than being a full-carbon design. That really doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

The Propel Advanced 2 (above) is good value. This bike comes with Shimano’s mid-level 105 groupset and the price is the same as it was last year: £1,599.

If you want deep section wheels, though, you need to go up to the Propel Advanced 0 (£2,999). This comes with Giant’s SL 1 Aero wheels and a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset.

Buy if: You're after aerodynamic efficiency and want to stick with rim brakes.

Propel Advanced Disc

Giant added disc brakes to the Propel Advanced lineup in 2018, claiming that the flagship model, the Propel Advanced SL Disc, has the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of any bike in its class and a lower drag coefficient at a wider range of yaw angles than the rim brake Propel.

“One of the key breakthroughs is a new truncated ellipse airfoil shape – a design that lowers drag at a wider range of wind angles than traditional teardrop frame tubing,” says Giant. “Engineers also found that, with proper integration, a disc-brake design can actually improve aero performance compared to rim-brake configurations.”

You also get a combined aero handlebar and stem with internal cable routing, and aero wheelsets with different rim depths front and rear, the idea being to reduce drag without compromising control or power transmission.

Two models are built around the top level Propel Advanced SL Disc frame, the less expensive of them (above), at £5,899, being equipped with Shimano Ultegra Di2 components.

The Propel Advanced Pro Disc frame is made with a slightly lower grade of carbon and it has a seatpost that's separate to the frame as opposed to the Propel Advanced SL Disc's integrated seatpost design. It has the same Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, though, and is £1,000 cheaper at £4,899.

The Propel Advanced Disc uses the same grade of carbon as the Pro Disc but with an alloy steerer rather than a full carbon fork. Built up with a Shimano 105 groupset, the Propel Advanced 2 Disc (above) is priced £2,299 while £2,999 gets you the Propel Advanced 1 Disc with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset.

Buy if: You want an aero road bike with even lower drag than its rim brake equivalent.

Defy range

The Defy is the carbon-fibre endurance/sportive entry in the Giant road bike lineup, designed to be comfortable over long distances while still providing plenty of speed.

A Defy has a shorter top tube than an equivalent TCR, for example, and a taller head tube to put you into a ride position that’s a bit more relaxed and back-friendly. Specialized takes a similar approach with its Roubaix bikes, Cannondale offers its Synapse range, and many other brands have their equivalents. All Defy bikes have disc brakes.

Giant has redesigned its Defy bikes for 2019, the latest models coming with clearance for 32mm tyres, and tubeless tyres fitted as standard. The bikes also get D-Fuse handlebars that, like the existing D-Fuse seatposts, are designed to allow a small amount of movement to absorb shock and vibrations.

Defy Advanced Pro

The Defy Advanced Pro bikes are built around frames and forks made of Giant's Advanced Grade carbon composite. The most affordable model is the Defy Advanced Pro 2 (£2,799). This one has Shimano’s highly rated 105 groupset and an aluminium Contact SL D-Fuse handlebar.

Pay £3,199 for the Defy Advanced Pro 1 (above) and you'll get an upgrade to Shimano Ultegra and a carbon Contact SLR D-Fuse handlebar, while the Defy Advanced Pro 0 (£4,499) jumps up to Shimano Ultegra Di2. The big news, though, is that this top-of-the-range model is fitted with a Giant Power Pro double sided power meter.

Contend

The aluminium-framed Contend models are built to geometries that are similar to those of the carbon fibre Defy bikes (above) and they also come with tapered head tubes and steerers for accurate steering, and slim seatposts that are designed to damp vibration.

There are three flavours of Contend: Contend, Contend SL and Contend SL Disc.

If you're in the market for a bike at the typical Cycle To Work Scheme threshold of £1,000, the Contend SL 2 Disc (£999, above) is good value with Shimano Tiagra components and Giant's own Conduct disc brakes.

If you're a fan of lightweight aluminium-framed bikes, then the Contend SL models are well worth a look. When we reviewed the Contend SL1 (£999) we called it a "balanced and assured aluminium endurance bike equally suited to long rides at pace and commuter pothole-bashing".

"The Giant Contend SL 1 is an absolutely spot-on all-day ride," we said. "It's a comfortable and versatile sportive/endurance bike with a dependable feel that encourages you to keep going and just do those extra few miles."

The entry-level model in the range is the Contend 2 (£579, above) with components drawn largely from Shimano’s 8-speed Claris groupset.

Buy if: You want the comfort of an endurance road bike and you don’t necessarily feel the need for discs.

Enviliv

The designed-for-women Enviliv (formerly called Envie) bikes are branded Liv rather than Giant, and they’re essentially women’s versions of Propels. Like the Propels, they’re divided up into different categories. There’s no SL version but there are Enviliv Advanced and Advanced Pro models.

The cheapest model is the £1,599 Enviliv Advanced 2 (above) with a Shimano 105 groupset, while the top-level rim brake model is the Enviliv Advanced Pro (£3,149) with Shimano Ultegra components.

The most affordable of the three disc brake models is the £3,499 Enviliv Advanced Pro 2 Disc with dependable Shimano 105 parts and Giant's SLR-1 Aero wheels.

Buy if: You want an aero road bike in a women’s-specific geometry.

Liv Langma

Langma is a range of women’s-specific carbon-framed road race bikes, designed to be lightweight and efficient.

The Shimano Tiagra-equipped Langma Advanced 3 (above) is available in a rim brake version only (£1,299) while the Langma Advanced 2, which steps up to Shimano 105 components, comes in both rim brake (£1,499) and disc brake (£1,749) models. The same is true of the Advanced 1 which is kitted out in Shimano Ultegra (£1,799 and £1,999).

The Langma Advanced Pro bikes use the same Advanced Grade composite but get a slightly different headset system and a full-carbon fork rather than a fork with an aluminium steerer. The more affordable of the rim brake models is Langma Advanced Pro 1 (above, £2,799) with a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

There are three Langma Advanced Pro Disc bikes this year, with thru axles and hydraulic disc brakes. The cheapest of these is the Liv Langma Advanced Pro 2 Disc (above, £2,599) which has Shimano 105 components. This bike isn't available in a rim brake format.

The top level Langma platform is the Advanced SL, made from a higher grade of carbon and available only with rim brakes. The Langma Advanced SL 1 (£4,999) has a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset while the £7,999 Langma Advanced SL 0 (above) is equipped with super-slick Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.

Buy if: You want a women’s-specific carbon-framed road race bike that's designed to be lightweight and efficient.

Liv Avail

The Liv Avail bikes are pretty much women’s versions of the Giant Defys and Contends. It’s a large range containing 10 different models, covering both carbon-fibre Advanced models and aluminium-framed bikes.

There are six aluminium Avails, four of them with rim brakes and the other two with discs. Both the Avail SL 2 Disc (above, £999) and the Avail SL 1 Disc (£1,249) are fitted with Giant's own Conduct hydraulic disc brakes.

The rim-braked aluminium Avails start with the Avail 2 (above, £599) — the women's equivalent of the Contend 2 — and go up to the Avail SL 1 (£999) with Shimano's 105 components.

Top of the carbon fibre Avails is the Avail Advanced Pro (above, £2,999) with a Shimano Ultegra groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes. All of the other Avail Advanced bikes are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes too.

Buy if: You’re after an endurance road bike that’s made especially for women.

AnyRoad

​The AnyRoads are really interesting bikes that are designed for riding both on asphalt and on rougher roads – gravel, towpaths, forest tracks, that kind of thing. Many other manufacturers are producing bikes that are similarly versatile: GT makes the Grade, for example, and Jamis has the Renegade.

The AnyRoad is built with a tall head tube for a fairly upright riding position, and comes with 32mm tyres for grip and comfort on less than perfect road surfaces.

There are two aluminium-framed AnyRoads, the cheapest of which is the AnyRoad 2 (above, £899) with a Shimano Sora groupset and TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes.

The AnyRoad Advanced (above, £1,799) has a full carbon frame. This one has a Shimano Tiagra groupset and Giant's Conduct cable operated hydraulic disc brakes (using a mechanical-to-hydraulic converter).

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now pushing 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.